We recently connected with Matthew French and have shared our conversation below.

Matthew, appreciate you joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents are some of the most amazing people on the planet! Honest, hard-working, and gracious people with the spark and fire to get things done. Gardening is their favorite thing in the world and they spend most of the year planning, planting and harvesting. I just visited them for Christmas and there in the middle of a massive winter storm they couldn’t stop talking about how they had prepared the soil for next year’s garden, what they are going to plant, and who they were going to share the harvest with. That’s where the lessons begin.

They have been gardening on the same piece of land for over 30 years. Some seasons the harvest has been plenty and some seasons it has been light, but each time you plant you learn something. Maybe the soil needs extra nutrients or maybe you planted too early/late. Each season you take note of successes and failures to adjust accordingly for next time around. Over time you learn what works best for your garden.

And so it is in the songwriting world. There is so much work that happens behind the scenes. Sometimes you have to write a bunch of terrible songs to get to the good ones. In this you are working on the soil, preparing for what comes next. Moments of failure are inevitable, but also present an opportunity to grow. Each of us has a unique creative energy to cultivate in the ways that work best for us.

Another inspiring lesson my from my parents is in the way that they share the garden harvest with others. I love seeing the joy on their faces when they talk about giving away what they’ve grown or sharing gardening secrets with neighbors. I want to be that way with my music-Joyful in giving away something that I’ve worked hard to make happen and ready to lift up others in their creative passions.

Matthew, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

MATTHEW FRENCH is a Minneapolis-based singer, songwriter and Gibson guitar collector who creates music to connect people through shared stories of love and loss. The former minister has grown a loyal fan base through his engaging performances, wry sense of humor and warm, community-minded spirit.

Raised in a small town outside of Dayton, Ohio, French grew up playing music in the church. He sang with various bands and flirted briefly with the trombone and cornet before falling in love with the guitar at 16. French played in bands through college and started performing music professionally. French moved to Minnesota in 2005, but it was not until several years later that he truly immersed himself in songwriting catalyzed by a painful divorce in 2014.

“Songwriting was my way of saying things I didn’t know I needed to say,” French says. “It was the best therapy.”

Inspired by songwriters like Peter Bradley Adams and David Ramirez, he started performing some of his own songs out at open mics and released his debut EP Home in 2015, recorded by Danny O’Brien (Annie Fitzgerald, Al Church, Meg Kirsch) at Hot Dad Labs studio. Since then, French has immersed himself in the Twin Cities music scene, performing and recording with some of Minnesota’s top folk/Americana artists including Sarah Morris, Annie Fitzgerald and Ben Cook-Feltz. He released a second EP, Winding Road, in 2016 followed by his first full-length album, Sweet Love.

During the pandemic, he has focused on writing and recording, releasing two new singles — a cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Song for the Asking” (recorded with Sarah Morris) and “Man in the Yellow Chair,” written for his grandfather. The song’s moving video premiered on The Current on Father’s Day. His new album, Two Sides, is available now on all streaming platforms as well as CD & Vinyl.

When not writing or performing, Matthew French likes to run and research more about vintage Gibson guitars. A staple of the Twin Cities music scene, he can also be seen at clubs around the Twin Cities, supporting his favorite artists and occasionally hopping up on stage to sing harmonies.

For the latest news and tour dates, visit www.mfrenchmusic.com.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist are the connections I get to make. I find that songwriting is one of the best ways for me to connect with my true self and when I am able to be vulnerable in a song there is something that happens to connect with others. It’s the magic of shared story! When we connect in that way we feel like we’re not alone.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

In my view, the most important things society can do to support creatives are:

1. Cheer-Go to shows, smile, enjoy
2. Invest- Buy music, a painting, etc
3. Encourage- If someone in your circle shows interest in a creative endeavor help them get started

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mfrenchmusic.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/mfrenchmusic
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/mfrenchmusic
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/mfrenchmusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGacbNuonBhlppzn7ihlm-Q

Image Credits
David Dennison Robin Scully